Illuminated safety indicator for guns



Oct. 25, 1938. c. E. JACOBS' 2,134,406

ILLUMINATED SAFETY INDICATOR FOR GUNS Filed May 17, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 25, 1938.

c. E. JACOBS ILLUMINATED SAFETY INDICATOR FOR GUNS Filed May I7,` 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 25, 1938 LSTATES 2,134,496 l, SAFETY VAAINnrosxroR GUNS FOR

' My present invention relates to guns, this term being used in a broad sense to include rifles, Shotguns and similar firearms; and, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and dened in the claims. I

The danger of carrying guns in condition for ring is too well known to need comments. Safety devices that produce sound, have been found impractical for several reasons, among which may be mentioned the fact that the sound produced will scare game, and under most general conditions a noisy device is not desired. Projectable signals that are not illuminated, and hence not generally seen unless special attention is called thereto, are not eicient.

I' have, however, found that illuminated signal devices such as produced by the lighting of a bulb, and especially when combined with means for producing a red glow, the color indicating danger, are very efficient and rnot objectionable for any reason. I have further found that to be the most eiicient these illuminated signal or light producing elements should be placed well along the forward portion of the gun where they will always be seen by the person handling the gun as when ready to fire or even handling the gun in the ordinary way where the line of vision is usually directed to the front portion of the gun. Shotguns and rifles and especially repeating guns are equipped with detachable fore-ends or wooden pieces with which the hand is usually engaged in shooting the gun. These fore-end" pieces are very prominent parts of the gun and pains throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation, but with some parts breken away showing a gun such as a rie and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation with many of the parts broken away and with some parts sectioned showing the intermediate portion of the gun of Fig. l, both the front end andthe rear end portions of the gun being broken off;

3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line de -f' of Fig. 2;A V

` Fig. y5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5;-f5".'lffv Fig. 2;

Fi Q6 is, a section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig.'4;l f l Figy isajfragmentary view partly in elevation'and 'partly'inA vertical section showing the trigger, safety lockand switch of the gun; Y Mig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8--8 of Fi`g'."l;`l j

d Fig. 9 is a section taken on the'line 9'-l of Fig .7;

, Fig. 1 0 isa transverse section taken on the line lil-I0 ofFig. l; i

"1 Fig. l1 is a side elevation illustrating a modied form of the invention and showing a single barrel gun of the exposed hammer type;

Fig-l2 is a side elevation with some parts broken away and some parts sectioned showing the intermediate portion of the gun illustrated in Fig. "11':

'FigQlS is a view partly inelevation and partly in vertical section showing the butt end of a-gun and illustrating a modified form of lbattery structure; and Fig. 14 is an' elevation or the battery shown in `Flg. 13'. n Theinvention, as'shown in the drawings illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, will first be described. Offthe ordinary or standard parts of this gun it is'only necessary for the purposes of -this case tol Yparticularly note: 'Ihe gun stock or butt I5, the*A metallic receiver I6, the barrel I1, the Yfore-end'piece IB, the trigger I9, the safety lock bolt 2) and the metallic breech frame 2I, which latter is formed as a rigid part of the receiver I6 and includes a metallic tubular spring casing 22, which latter is rigidly secured to the -receiver I6 and is extended into a recess formed in the stock I5. The receiver I6 has a forwardly projecting tubular casing 23 which, at itsr rear end, is rigidly secured to the front end of the body of the receiver I6' and extends parallel to but under the barrel I'l. The fore-end piece I8, Yas shown, is made channel-shaped throughout `its main? portion so that it iits against the bottom of the barrel I 1 and encloses the tube 23. In the front end of the fore-end piece I8 is a swivelled cap screw-24 that is screwed into the front end `of the. casing"23 and, when applied, rigidly but detachablylholds-the fore-end piece in position.

The safety lock' bolt 20, see particularly Figs. 7, 8 and 9, is slidably mounted in the depending flange of the breech frame 2| just back of the depending portion of the trigger I9 and is formed with a notch 25, which', when aligned with'the rear ange of the trigger; I9, permits the trigger 60 to be Vpressed backward to produce the firing action.' When said lock bolt is in the position shown y in Figs. 8 and 9, it positively locks the trigger against such rearward movement or hammer releasing action. When the said safety bolt, however, is moved toward the left in respect to Fig. 9 as far as it will go, it permits the trigger to be moved rearward and to produce the firing action.

The cross-sectional form of the fore-end piece I8 and its relation to the barrel is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by reference to which it will be noted that its main body vportion is channelshaped so that it presents laterally spaced flanges above the casing 23. The front portion of the said fore-end piece I8 is, however, formed with a solid portion I 8a immediately under thebarrel and through which the cap screw 24 is passed.

In carrying out my invention this solid portion I8a is formed with a large notch or recess 26 in which is located a small electric light bulb 21 located in the vertical plane that intersects the axes of the barrel I1 and bolt 24. In line with the recess 25 and with the light bulb 21 the sides of the fore-end piece I8 have opposite light passages in which preferably are placed metal tubes 28, in the outer ends of which are lenses 279, advisably colored red.

As an additional safety means another small light bulb 39 is placed in a recess or bore 3| formed in the rear portion of the stock I5. In the arrangement shown the light bulb 30 is contained within a small metallic frame 32 to which the one terminal of the socket of the light bulb is electrically connected. The terminal of said light bulb, being insulated from said frame and connected to one terminal of a storage battery 33, is also placed in a recess or bore 3l. 'I'he battery 33, as shown, is forwardly pressed by a light coil spring 3.4 pressed between the same and a shoulder plate 35 of the gun stock. The metallic frame 32 by a rivet-like structure 36 is electrically connected to the tubular extension 22 of the metallic receiver- 26, so that the said elements become a part of the electric circuit presently to be more fully described and which electric circuit includes a controlling switch, which will now be described.

Immediately above the safety bolt 20 the metallic breech frame 2l is formed with a recess 31 which, as shown, is aligned with a bushing 38 of material that is an electrical insulator Vsuch as rubber or wood fibre. Set into this bushing I8 is a pair of spaced electrical contact plates 39 and 49. Slidable radially through the bushing 38 is a downwardly spring pressed switch-actuating plunger 4 I, which is of an insulating material ysuch as noted above and the lower end of which Anormally rests against the safety bolt 20, as

shown inY Fig. 8. The switch plunger carries a transversely projecting metallic switch contact 42, which, inthe normal positionrof the parts shown in Fig. '7, that is the lock position of the trigger, is held outof engagement with the contact plates 39 and 40. When, however, the safety Y-bolt Zllis moved toward the right, in respect to Figs. 8 and 9, into a trigger releasing position,y

which renders the gun in condition for firing, the bevelled end of the safety bolt will engage the ,bevelled end of the switch plunger, thereby permitting the plunger to lower the contact 42 into engagement with the contact plates 39 and 4D,

and this, of course, will close the lamp circuits from .the battery.

. These lamp circuits further traced are as follows: 'Ihe switch contact plate 39 is connected to the rear terminal of battery 23 by an insulated wire 43 that is extended through passages in the breech frame and in the gun stock, as best shown in Figs. 1 to '7. The switch plate 40 is connected to the rear end of an insulated wire 44 that is extended throughv a passage in the receiver I6 to the front end of the latter, where it is extended upwardly on one side and electrically connected to la contact plate 45 that is insulated from the metalbody of said receiver and has an exposed front face, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The terminals of the socket of light bulb 21 are connected to insulated wires 46 and 41. The wire 46 is extended in a groove formed in one side of the fore-end piece I8, and the wire 41 is extended in a groove formed in the opposite side of said end piece. 'Ihe rear end of wire 46 is electrically connected to the end of a metallic bushing 48 that is set into the wooden body of said end piece I8, see particularly Fig. 2. In the bushing 48 is a rearwardly spring pressed contact pin 49 which, when the end piece is applied, electrically contacts with the contact plate 45 see Figs. 2, 3 and 6. The rear end of wire 41 is connected to a rearwardly spring pressed contact pin 50 which is preferably mounted in the same manner as the pin 49 but which, when the fore-end piece I8 is applied,l has -direct electrical contact with the front end of the receiver I6. Complete electric connections from the battery 33 to the light bulbs 21 and 30 have now been traced, and it should be understood that both light bulbs will be illuminated Whenever the safety bolt 20 is moved to a position to align its notch 25 with the flange of the trigger I9 and thereby set the gun in condition for ring.

Advisably the wires 46 and 41 in the grooves of the flanges of the fore-end piece I8 are embedded in a.V set plastic material to better hold them in position, but itv also is evident that the electrical connections described will automatically connect the electric circuits for performing Cil their described functions by the very act of apbreech frame 53, the numeral 54 the barrel, the

numeral 55 the removable fore-end piece, the numeral 56 the trigger, the numeral 51 the hammer, and the numeral 58 the forwardly spring pressed hammer-actuating bolt. The hammer 51 is pivoted at 59 and is provided with ratchet- Vlike teeth 60 and 6I` that co-operate with the trigger 56, respectively to set the hammer for ring or at half cock. Here it is only necessary to state that when the hammer is at full cock and is released by a trigger, it will be violently thrust forward into ring position under the action of the spring pressed bolt 58, which reacts against a base plate 62 secured in the breech frame 53. In guns of this type the barrel 54 is pivoted to the fore-end portion of the magazine 52 on a pivot 63. In this gun the storage battery 64 is set in a recess in the gun stock and is pressed forwardly by a spring 65 that holds one fore-end piece 55, which latter is formed with the sight openings at opposite sides preferably in the same manner as the gun previously described.

The body of the fore-end piece 55, being of wood, is a non-conductor of electricity, but at its rear end it is provided with a metallic joint block 69 which, when thefore-end piece is applied, has direct electrical contact with the metallic front end portion of the magazine 52. One terminal of the socket of light bulb 6'1 is connected by a Wire 68 to the metallic block 69 so that one terminal of said light bulb is, through the metallic parts noted including the bolt 66, connected to one terminal of the battery 6d. The other terminal of battery G4 is connected to the rear end of an insulated wire 'l0 that is extended forwardly through the gun stock and by a switch mechanism, presently to be described, is connected to another wire Il that is extended forwardlythrough the lower portion of the magazine 52 and terminates in a contact pin 72. The

contact pin 'l2 is telescoped into a metallic contact sleeve I3 that is set into the wooden body of the fore-end piece 55. The sleeve 73, by a wire 14, is connected to the other terminal of the socket of the light bulb 61.

The switch mechanism for controlling the signal device under the action of cooking the hammer 5l for firing is shown in axial section in Fig. 12 and is as follows: The front end of wire 10, as shown, is connected to a metallic sleeve l5 set into the woodwork of the gun stock 5l and provided at its front end with a bushing 16 of insulating material. A forwardly spring-pressed Contact metallic plunger T! that is headed at both ends works through the bushing 'I6 and is arranged to bev engaged with the front end of a Contact plunger 18 by a metallic pin 19 driven through said plunger and a sleeve 80, so that said plunger and sleeve move together. The rear end of plunger 'I1 is subject to a coiled metal spring 'VI' that electrically 'connects the same to the front end of wire 10. Plunger 18 works through the sleeve 80 which in turn slides through a bushing 8 I set into the gun stock. Sleeve 80 is of insulating material and its front end is normally pressed into engagement with the rear end of the action plunger 58 by a light coil spring 82.

The action of the switch mechanism just described is as follows: When the hammer 51 is in firing position or at half cock, plunger 58 will be so far forwardly moved that sleeve 80 with contact pin 'I8 will be withdrawn into the i'lxed sleeve or bushing 8|, thereby moving plunger 18 out of engagement with plunger 11 and breaking the circuit. When, however, the hammer is set for firing, as shown by full lines in Fig. 12, plunger 58 will be forced so far forward that contact plunger 'I8 will be engaged with contact plunger 11, thereby closing the circuit and causing the signal-like lamp to be illuminated.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I have shown a duplex battery made up of two cells 83 set in reverse order in a rectangular frame 84, which in turn is seated in a recess 85 formed in the gun stock 86. In this arrangement opposite terminals of the cells 83, as shown, are connected by a metallic piece 81, and the other terminals of the said 'cells are connected, one to a wire 88 that leads to one terminal of the light bulb, and the other by a wire 89 that leads to the other terminal of said light bulb through a butt securing bolt 90 and other metallic parts of the gun.

What I claim is:

1. In a gun of the kind described provided with a fore-end piece extended under the forward portion of the gun barrel and provided with sight openings at its opposite sides, an electric light bulb located in said fore-end piece between the sight openings thereof, a battery 1ocatecl in the gun stock, a circuit for said light bulb including said battery and light bulb and a circuit controlling switch, and means operated by setting of the gun in condition for ring and operating on said switch to close the light bulb circuit and cause illumination thereof.

2. In a gun of the kind described provided with a fore-end piece extended under the forward portion of the gun barrel and provided with sight openings at its opposite sides, an electric light bulb located in said fore-end piece between the sight openings thereof, a battery 1ocated in the gun'stock, a circuit for said light bulb including said battery and light bulb and a circuit controlling switch, a trigger lock, and a switch-actuating element co-operating with said trigger lock and arranged to open said switch when the trigger lock is in position to lock the trigger, and to close said switch when said trigger lock is in position to release the trigger for firing action.

3. 'I'he structure defined in claim 1 in which said fore-end piece is detachably applied to the gun, and said circuit includes separable contacts arranged to be engaged when said foreend piece is applied to the gun.

4. The structure dened in claim 2 in which said fore-end piece is detachably applied to the gun, and said circuit includes separable contacts arranged to be engaged when said foreend piece is applied to the gun.

5. The structure dened'in claim 1 in which said circuit also includes a light bulb located in the gun stock, said stock having sight openings exposing the second light bulb to View.

6. In a gun of the kind described provided with a fore-end piece extended under the forward portion of the barrel, of a light bulb applied to said fore-end piece, a battery located in the gun stock, a circuit including said battery and light bulb, a switch for controlling said circuit, and means operated by setting of the gun in condition for firing and operating on said switch to cause sai-d light bulb to be illuminated.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which said fore-end piece is detachably appliedto the gun, and said circuit includes separable contacts arranged to be engaged when said foreend piece is applied to the gun.

8. 'I'he structure defined in claim 6 in which said circuit also includes a light bulb located in the gun stock and arranged to be illuminated when the light bulb in the fore-end stock is illuminated.

9. In a gun of the kind described, a light bulb visibly applied in the front end portion thereof, an electric circuit including a battery, a switch and said light bulb, said elements being incorporated in the gun structure, and means operated by the setting of the gun in condition for ring and operating on said switch to close the bulb circuit and cause illumination thereof, and which gun is provided with a removable fore-end piece and the circuit connections to said light bulb include separable contacts arranged to be engaged by application of the foreend in working position.

CHARLES E. JACOBS. 

